Depending on which theory you subscribe to, either Thursday or Friday is the 53rd anniversary of the opening of Disneyland. (July 17th, 1955 was the televised dedication ceremony, but the park opened to the public on the 18th.) Today's photos show one of the first Disneyland attractions being assembled. .
Walt Disney put Robert H. “Bob” Gurr (“Director of Special Vehicular Development") in charge of making Autopia a reality. Gurr had recently helped design the Lincoln Continental for Ford, so he was well-prepared to design Disney's 5/8 scale sports cars. Meanwhile, the chassis and drive were developed by Johnny Hartman of the Hartman Engineering Co. in Montrose, and forty fiberglass car bodies were built by the Glasspar Co. of Costa Mesa. Finally, in the last weeks leading up to the park's opening, the cars were assembled and tested at Mameco Engineering, Inc. (seen above) in Newport Beach.
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In the photos above, Mameco's Ed Martindale and Ted Mangels are seen showing off their handiwork. In the background, you can see the Snug Harbor Cafe and what appears to be the old Western Canners Co. cannery. The small inset image is a detail showing the engine compartment. (For much more information about the development of Autopia, see this great post on Vintage Disneyland Tickets.)
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On a sad (but unrelated) note, I learned today that two former Orange County Historical Commission members died recently: Cecil Rospaw and Jean A. Whitney. (Click on the links to learn more about them.)